8 – The Monument of Jeonji (3)
What is necessary. Get it done.
From Noble mtl dot com
What needs to be eliminated. The malicious complainant who bothers me.
Conclusion. Let’s get rid of the malicious complainant.
As soon as Mariel, who had entered with a brilliant syllogism that would make all the alchemists of magic tower give a standing ovation, was seen, it pierced through the mind.
“You’re here again. What’s the problem this time?”
“This darn dormitory doesn’t have a single corner that’s even remotely decent! Why does the water pipe have to freeze when it’s not even winter!?”
“That’s because the climate and ecology of magic tower are completely separate from the outside world. Would you like a warm cup of tea?”
“Enough with that, just fix it already. Thanks to this, I couldn’t do anything with my hair all day.”
Holkroft’s beloved daughter remained unchanged, with her strange way of speaking, strange hairstyle, and strangely pleasant scent.
When she entered the dull faculty room, the room became three times brighter than when the grumpy wizard was stoking the fireplace.
Ignoring Mariel’s suggestion to go straight to her own room, I took out a teacup.
The evaluation has already started, even if she doesn’t know it.
“Aren’t you going to bed at this late hour?”
“My sleeping hours are none of the superintendent’s concern. Besides, I came at this time because the superintendent was absent all day.”
Not only was there no sign of fatigue, despite being a bit sensitive, but there was also no trace of guilt for visiting the faculty room after work hours.
For reference, it was currently 3 a.m.
An extreme pattern of sleep deprivation and a shameless audacity on her face.
Starting off with an additional 2 points for the two essential qualities required as an administrator.
Although it wasn’t a category I could check when selecting other undercover agents, her appearance also earned her bonus points.
The revelation that the perfect student was actually a young girl would surely generate a positive response in the gallery.
Of course, it’s best if it remains undisclosed, so it’s just a minor plus.
The real evaluation was about to begin.
“The fragrance is lovely.”
“I occasionally receive it from the dorm supervisor. But still, it’s not as good as drinking it with close friends.”
“Well, they’re not even friends. They only pretend to be close, but it’s obvious they’re plotting something behind your back.”
“Lack of camaraderie… 1 point deducted.”
“Pardon?”
After finishing our tea, I followed her into the girls’ dormitory.
The room itself was ordinary, like any other trainee’s.
I noticed a few magic books, a robe, and a pile of crumpled clothes stuffed into a twisted wooden wardrobe.
“Is it the inside that’s blocked?”
“Yes. I’m referring to the sink.”
I went into the bathroom and dismantled the pipes.
Then, instead of forcefully breaking the ice that was blocking the water pipe, I unfolded the location notes.
It was to check the room’s IP address.
Then, the owner of the room, who had been watching with arms crossed, approached and spoke.
At the end of her fresh gaze, there was a faint glimmer of caution.
“No photos allowed, I’ll report you.”
“Who takes pictures of someone else’s bathroom? But there’s one thing I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
“Why don’t you just leave and live somewhere else instead of staying here?”
The reason Maryelle was bothering me so much was simply because she was staying in the dormitory.
The first floor was nothing to speak of, but just a little higher up was the magic tower, filled with luxurious facilities for magicians.
In fact, some even owned an entire mansion like Vina.
Moreover, most of those who enter the magic tower are nobles or have a patron inside the tower.
It’s not like they don’t have money, and if they receive support from a faction that has connections with the nobility, they wouldn’t have to shiver in a cold place like this.
Maryelle, who received my question, chuckled and answered.
“It seems the caretaker knows nothing about Holcroft. We are a family that goes against those self-centered nobles and their pompous system!”
“Is that so?”
“Of course! My great-grandfather, who received a sword as a gift from the ancestor who was a member of the royal guard 170 years ago, played a significant role in subduing the Abyss Knight, the right-hand man of the king known as one of the Four Great Calamities, in the Black Mountains of the Jehaf region….”
I let her monologue flow in one ear while identifying the location note that was accessed from Maryelle’s room through the administrator account.
The walls were thin and there were many transient users, but when I deduced the main account used, only one search result came up.
—–
ID: GeniusBlondSmilingGirl
Post: 629
Comments: 3457
—–
As expected, the newly joined apprentice made the most use of the location note. And indeed, it was excellent.
Considering their zero years of experience, it was applause-worthy.
The ratio of posts to comments is quite ideal.
Having many comments means there is interaction.
Being able to listen to others’ words and engage in normal communication was more than enough to pass.
—–
ID: MeteorIceMagic
Posts: 322
Comments: 322
—–
—–
ID: TrappedOnThe44thFloor
Posts: 53132
Comments: 0
—–
Among them, there were also such terrible examples.
Plus three points.
“Are you listening to me, caretaker?”
“Yes, so you were saying that even though I have fallen from grace, I still have the pride of being a member of the once illustrious Viscount family. But what does that have to do with struggling in the dormitory?”
“Hmph, the caretaker has a short memory. Can you imagine the satisfaction of looking down on those nobles who disregarded Holcroft, after I crawled up from the bottom with my bare hands?”
In other words, it was a statement made to emphasize the dramatic effect of enduring hardships.
“Is that your answer?”
“Just thinking about it gives me a sense of exhilaration.”
Seeing the expression of genuine happiness, I decided to let it go.
After all, as a clean light user like myself, I couldn’t understand those who dedicated their lives to the gallery like Mariel.
“Well, anyway, good job. The caretaker communicates better than I expected.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It is a compliment. If I ever take a position in Martop, the caretaker will surely have good things coming.”
“Yes, well… I’ll go then.”
After fixing the plumbing and coming outside, I checked the scoring results written in the location note.
A total score of 6 points, with an appearance adjustment of 2 points, making a total of 8 points.
Mariel had worked hard, but she fell far short of the strict criteria of 10 points needed to become a candidate for failure.
While pondering whether I should let go of a promising candidate, suddenly a scream came from inside the room.
“Hiiiyaaak!! M-m-m, caretakerrr!!”
What now? Did the toilet overflow this time?
I immediately opened the door and a soft, fleshy mass wrapped around my upper body.
Now that the water was running, Mariel was in the room with a lighter outfit than before, apparently intending to wash herself.
She pointed to her clothes in her trembling fingers and started pulling them out of her wardrobe.
“A mouse! A mouse appeared! Inside there…!”
“Yes, it can happen occasionally. It’s made of wood, after all.”
“This is not a problem that can just happen! Quickly, quickly catch it!”
Ignoring the exposed upper chest, she grabbed me and shook me.
Because of that, my gaze, which was on my notes, was disrupted, and I unintentionally witnessed a strange sight.
Around the left chest, a faint blue pattern that could be mistaken for a vein at a glance.
I wondered if it was the spirit script (精靈文) that spirit masters inscribe for contracts, but it had a different form and, above all, it was incomplete.
“Did it, did it disappear? No, did you catch it…?”
“Not yet. Let me see…”
I regained my composure, took the broom, and dealt with the mouse hiding in the wardrobe.
Then, I left the girls’ dormitory and returned to the dormitory office, where I took out my location notebook and added 2 points to my figure score.
Although I managed to achieve a score of 10 with a last-minute spurt, there was still one final test remaining.
The gallery’s director was like the captain of a Flying Dutchman.
Everyone feared him, but he had to exist, and above all, he should never give in to those who begged for his favor.
*
—–
Administrator
[Due to a shortage of gallery staff this year, we will be selecting new administrators]
If anyone wants to become a sub-administrator, please raise your hand or send a personal message.
— Bal
– Enlistment Season on.
– Who else would do it if not for the mentally challenged lolololol.
– What good is it if you get enlisted?
ㄴ Yeah, you get a monthly dividend of 3,000 gold.
—–
The next day.
Mariel, who was attending a lecture on “Alchemy Potion Formulas,” checked the notice that came up on her location note.
She knew very well that Patak wasn’t a good place to take notes, as she had spent more time browsing the gallery than writing.
As expected, most of the comments in the gallery were mocking, saying who would willingly become an unpaid servant.
“How pathetic.”
Behind those reactions, it was clear that some were appealing to Jutak, asking him to assign them tasks.
The Gonic who had become unusually active caught her eye.
But the self-pitying remark was never directed towards them.
It was because of the incident last night when she accidentally exposed the pattern to the dormitory caretaker.
“It was something that should never have been seen.”
The fragment of “Mystery” that brought ruin to her family and the reason she entered the tower.
From Noble mtl dot com
And the reason why she still couldn’t go up to the 1st floor, despite being mocked by other nobles.
There was a possibility that she hadn’t seen it in the chaotic situation, but if she were caught, something terrible would definitely happen.
—–
ㅇㅇ
[Didn’t the troublemaker ㅊㅊㅈㄱㅂㅁㅅㄴ in the gallery declare surrender?]
Always talking about wanting to rebel and saying they’ll wipe everything out once they have power, but they’re quiet when it actually comes to this situation. LOL
— What’s with the snipe?
— Just empty talk.
— Look at all the gangsters popping out, no wonder there’s an abundance of sniping. LOL
— Go fight somewhere else.
— Yeah, in the end, it was all talk. LOL
ㄴ Super genius blond girl: It’s your mother.
—–
Her head felt heavy, so the usual gallery banter wasn’t enjoyable.
The classroom had a bustling atmosphere as they prepared for the upcoming exploration of the Dark Forest.
Taking another deep sigh, she stood up from her seat, determined to find team members before it was too late.
Her location note buzzed, and another announcement appeared.
—–
Administrator
[Even the current troublemakers seem unmotivated and everyone just keeps making fun of them, so I’m saying this]
Starting this year, the administrators plan to create an opportunity for face-to-face meetings with me.
Date undecided, location undecided, that’s all.
—–
“Marie, have you found a team?”
“……”
“Mariel? Huh? What’s going on?”
“What’s happening, everyone?”
In an instant, the entire classroom fell into silence.
The student erasing the blackboard, the professor gathering their magic books, even the apprentices rushing to the next classroom, all stared intently at the notice on the bulletin board.
And soon, the gallery was filled with a frenzy of comments.